Angela's Ashes by Jane Rollason

Angela's Ashes Reviews

• 
  Carmina

  Great book, love the style! However, I feel it loses its 'magic' in the last few pages. Th end is quite unsatisfactory and dull. Still, it's one of those books I'll read again (and again?).
• 
  Ashton

  Both heartbreakingly tragic and hilariously funny. You do the math.
• 
  Sheri Milam

  This book, Angela's Ashes was a beautifully, comically written memoir by Frank McCort that was as humbling as it was entertaining. As we wrapped up another year of surplus and excess and desires to have more, this story reminded me of just how grateful I am for all that I have, and all that I don't.
  
  Frank is the oldest of four surviving children, born to poverty in a war torn world. He tells his story from innocence that only a child can see and it is comical, heartbreaking and infuriating. The fact that he made it past his toddler years is almost too much to believe. No child should have to endure what he was forced to endure and with all that Catholic guilt heaped on top of the travesties, he somehow maintained his sanity and the stamina to write about it.
  
  Angela is Frank's mother and as a mother I felt every ounce of pain and not near the pain she must have felt in losing and raising children in unfathomable conditions. I don't know what became of Angela, but I know that her life was harder than that of any mother I know. How her heart must have broken with every passing day. How desperate and hopeless she must have felt, essentially on her own for all of her children't lives. Although Frank writes of his mother's tears and a desperation he could see, he'll never have the same perception as another mother, for mothers save the bulk of their tears for the darkness and times when no one will be able to think them weak. For it is those tears and thoughts in the darkness that create a tiger for her children come daylight. That heightened sense of protection of offspring is often born of formidable circumstances.
  
  Frank and his brothers are normal little boys growing up in a very abnormal world and yet he is able to reflect on times that he was cognizant of all things beautiful in a very ugly world. It must be very difficult to see anything beautiful when your shoes are falling apart and you're consistently hungry. He manages to rise above his station in life and escape to America, the land of hope and opportunity. He comes with great expectations to a foreign land with the hope of being the man for his family that his father could never to be. I sincerely hope he was greeted with open arms and kinder hearts than the previous life from which he came and that doors opened for him rather than slammed in his face.
  
  Angela's Ashes was a great read and I would highly recommend it for anyone that isn't afraid to read a story that supports some very ugly, sad truths about how other people live. We all need to be humbled from time to time, lest we forget how to be grateful and kind.
• 
  Janette

  I remember all the clamor surrounding this book when it was first released, but never got around to reading it until now. The glowing reviews, combined with the fact that I've always been fascinated by Ireland, led me to have high expectations and I was excited to finally read it and learn for myself why it was so highly regarded. Due to lack of time, I ended up listening to the audio version narrated by Frank McCourt himself. I love McCourt's accent and the black humor and imitations are beyond hilarious. The tragedies he experienced are equally heartbreaking. But the reason I only gave it two stars is because of the excessive blasphemy and sexual recollections. The first half of the book was far more enjoyable than the latter half, as the latter portion constantly revisited accounts of sexual escapades and/or self abuse. I will never understand why some individuals feel the need to publicly air every private detail of their lives and, more especially, choose to publicly share even the ugliest of sins. It's certainly not something of which I'd be proud and it was also far more than I ever needed or wanted to know about McCourt's life. Unfortunately, his decision to include such gross details severely diminished him and that's now the first thing that pops to mind whenever I see his picture or hear his name. The TMI private details and profanity were just so deeply and personally offensive that it completely destroyed what, for me, would have been an outstanding book otherwise. So incredibly disappointing.
• 
  Masahiro Yamane

  I think his life is hard. And he loves his family is very good.
• 
  Kimberly

  Amazing story! Frank McCourt retells how he grew from a small boy into adulthood, starting in America, then moving to Ireland with his parents and back to America. His life was filled with heartache and scarcity all while maneuvering through childhood and adolescence. There are times you won't know if you should cry or laugh. But in all, you will have a deeper understanding of the human condition in poverty and the burning desire to make the most of your life despite your beginnings.
• 
  Betita

  Paints a very vivid, heartbreaking picture of poverty.
• 
  Vivian Felso

  The way it is written makes it feel like you had these experiences yourself. I would say it is an overall hopeful book despite the bad circumstances endured.
• 
  Sarah Gerbers

  i personally could not connect with the author's style of communicating....i couldn't even finish the book.
• 
  Evette Rodriguez

  Heart wrenching story about an Irish family debilitated by alcohol abuse.
• 
  Ana

  Very interesting story! Learned a lot about ireland's history. Tough times call for desperate measures.
• 
  Jessie Terwilliger

  does this story ever actually develop at some point?
• 
  Janelle

  Loved the stories, the writing, the comedy and the tragedy.
• 
  Jackie

  excellent brogue tongue and representation of extreme poverty
• 
  KnowledgeGeek

  One of the MOST depressing pieces of drivel ever. Unless you enjoy never ending misery, don't waste your time on this.
• 
  Whistlinvaderr

  Lovely memoir of life growing up in Limerick. I was stunned when it was over, rather abrupt. All I can figure is he became to excited to keep writing.
• 
  Καλλ

  This book puts things in perspective. Γι�� γερά στομάχια.
• 
  Colleen Morgan

  am I the only one who thought the beginning of Angela's Ashes sounded almost exactly like like the beginning of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn?
• 
  K.

  I don't think I've ever seen such humor come out of such poverty.
• 
  Ronny

  hard to put down! heart braking story!